Co-op in meltdown

firstclassx

Tried to get a £385 train ticket this afternoon on debit card. Card declined with ~£10k cleared balance, thought ok, bit odd, try cash machine.

Try Lloyds cash machine, balance enquiry says "this service is not available". Same when attempt to withdraw some cash, just £10.

Try a Natwest machine, same error.

Coop banking app working and shows my balance.

Ring up, automated message saying cards cannot be used at present due to a technical fault, expected to be rectified by late tonight.

Got through to someone, advised urgently needed cash/card payment to buy ticket- told to borrow money from someone because their system which authorises card payments has failed, and because it is outsourced, out of their control, try after 8pm tonight!

Bit poor not to have a backup connection etc. Absolutely nothing on their website, just a recorded telephone message.

innovate

firstclassx wrote: »

Bit poor not to have a backup connection etc.

Bit poor not to have a backup method of payment, such as a credit card. It isn't exactly the first time that a bank had a temporary problem.

I_luv_cats

I used my Co~Op debit card this afternoon in a Supermarket. close to 4pm

firstclassx

innovate wrote: »

Bit poor not to have a backup method of payment, such as a credit card. It isn't exactly the first time that a bank had a temporary problem.

Anyone who barely managed to obtain a cashminder account is not going to have a credit card, let alone other cards!

opinions4u

firstclassx wrote: »

Tried to get a £385 train ticket this afternoon

I'd rather hitchhike than pay that!

laursi090_2

Ive had the same problem, last sunday morning between 10 and 11 am, trying to pay £20 for petrol, I only have co-op bank accounts so this is very poor!

And then today at 11am, trying to pay for my hotel same problem again! And now tonight, needed to get some money out of my account, Guess what, system is down AGAIN!! only an automated telephone message also. this is really very poor, im afraid to use my card again incase it gets declined!! (there is plenty of money in account, and Im sure there will be no problems in taking the council tax out tomorrow!!!!)

I sympathise with you! v. fed up now co-op.

dalesrider

firstclassx wrote: »

system which authorises card payments has failed, and because it is outsourced, out of their control, try after 8pm tonight!

Bit poor not to have a backup connection etc. Absolutely nothing on their website, just a recorded telephone message.

How would a back up connection help?

The issue is the authorisation system is down.... Even if it was in house. They could still have this issue.

Not the 1st bank this has happened to this year and it won't be the last.

Wonder how many of the complainer will now move banks then

firstclassx

I would change banks if I could!!

It's 2013! This shouldn't be happening, an hour or two is fair enough, but 1/2 days of technical issues isn't on.

They could have a (hardware independant) secondary authorisation system! If 1 fails at least there's a fall back

Coop has a captive market with their Cashminder account. It's coop or no banking facilities!

YorkshireBoy

firstclassx wrote: »

Coop has a captive market with their Cashminder account. It's coop or no banking facilities!

There seems to be plenty of choice for basic bank accounts here...

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/Money-Made-Clear-leaflet-on-basic-bank-accounts.pdf

Why won't any of those do?

JuicyJesus

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

There seems to be plenty of choice for basic bank accounts here...

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/Money-Made-Clear-leaflet-on-basic-bank-accounts.pdf

Why won't any of those do?

The Co-op used to be one of only two banks that offered accounts to undischarged bankrupts. They pulled out of the market and now only Barclays do.

So basically if you're an undischarged bankrupt, you've already got a Co-op account and you've burned your bridges with Barclays you're stuck.

YorkshireBoy

JuicyJesus wrote: »

The Co-op used to be one of only two banks that offered accounts to undischarged bankrupts.

Unless OP has been made bankrupt since last month, when they made this post (saying no bankruptcy but a couple of defaults), then that doesn't apply here?